May 1 - Top 5 Moments in San Francisco Giants History

May 1

What is this all about?

Here are the top 5 May 1 moments in San Francisco Giants history.

1959 at Milwaukee, it's year two for the San Francisco Giants; scoreless in the 5th, Bob Schmidt hits a three run homer off Carl Willey, the Giants beat the Braves 6-4.  Schmidt had been in the organization since '51 but didn't make the club until the move west; he was the primary starting catcher on that first San Francisco club and got a thousand plate appearances until being moved with Don Blasingame to the Reds for Ed Bailey.

Walk off 1973 home vs Pittsburgh, the Giants came in 18-6 but were down 7-1 headed to the bottom of the 9th.  We batted around.  Batted around in the bottom of the 9th, how about that?   We got a 2 out grand slam from Chris Arnold (one of only 4 career homers) - but still that only cut the score to 7-5, and with 2 out, nobody on and a 2 run deficit how good do you feel about winning the game (you shouldn't feel good, you're gonna lose 99% of the time).  We loaded the bases a second time - and Dave Giusti gave up a 3 run double to Bobby Bonds and the Giants had as improbable a comeback as you're likely to see.

2004 home vs Marlins, 7th inning, down 3-2, 2 out, bases loaded, perhaps the least likeable player in San Francisco history, AJ Pierzynski singled home 2 off of Carl Pavano.  We won 6-3.  You know how they say "he's the type of player who you hate when he's on the other team but you love when he's on your team"?  That's not Pierzynski.  You just hate that guy.  He hit into a league leading 27 double plays in his one season in San Francisco.

2013 at Arizona, down 6-4 in the 8th, 2 on, 2 out, Brandon Belt hits a two strike 3 run homer off David Hernandez and the Giants win 9-6.  Through 2016, this was Belt's best year with the bat, an OPS+ of 139.



Walk off 2015 home vs Angels,  2-2 in the 9th, bases loaded, 2 out, Joe Panik breaks the tie with a pinch hit off Joe Smith to score Gregor Blanco and the Giants win it 3-2. Through 2016, this was Panik's best season, the 32nd best season for a second baseman in organizational history.

See you tomorrow.  Go Giants!

April 30 - Top 5 Moments in San Francisco Giants History

Yesterday

What is this all about?

Here are the top 5 April 30 Moments in San Francisco Giants history.

Walk off 1982 home vs Mets, Giants down 4-2 in the 9th, 2 on, Reggie Smith hits a 3 run homer off Neil Allen to send everyone home.  Reggie Smith was a terrific baseball player who should have made some Hall of Fame noise, this was the last year of his career, he was 37 years old - and he still hit the ball, he had a 134 OPS+.

Walk off 1986 home vs Pirates, 5,000 paid attendance for a four hour game, the Giants tied it in the 9th to force extra innings, this spot was the 12th, bases loaded, 2 out, Chris Brown singles home Robby Thompson off of Bob Patterson to win the game.  Brown hit .317 in '86, he never hit .250 again in his career.

1996 at San Diego, Giants down 4-2 in the 5th, bases loaded, Bob Tewksbury on the mound...Barry Bonds at the plate...grand slam, Giants up 6-4 and go on to win 9-4.  Barry hit 586 home runs as a Giant, 9 of them grand slams, this was his third.

2011 at Washington, six Giants pitchers combined on a two hitter (it was less dominant that it seems, Jonathan Sanchez either walked or hit by pitch 7 of the Nats first ten batters) the last was Brian Wilson, who (through walks and hit batsmen) had the bases loaded with 2 out, a 2-1 lead and a full count on Adam LaRoche - and he struck him out.  The Giants were the first team in over half a century to put a dozen men on base via walks/hit batsmen and give up less than 2 runs.

2013 at Arizona, this was scoreless (Bumgarner vs. Cahill) until the bottom of the 8th when the Snakes went up a run, now it's the top of the 9th, JJ Putz on the mound, he gives up a 2 run homer to Pablo Sandoval and that winds up the final score.   Except for 2010, in every year of Sandoval's 7 year Giants career his OPS+ was over 110, and he hasn't broken 100 since leaving (through the 2016 season).

See you tomorrow.  Go Giants!

April 29 - Top 5 Moments in San Francisco Giants History

Yesterday

What is this all about?

Here are the top 5 moments on April 29 in San Francisco Giants history.

1969 home vs. Reds, the Giants had won 7 straight coming in but there were only 3200 paid for this Tuesday afternoon game at the Stick, the Giants were down 2-1 with 2 out in the 8th when Bobby Bonds hit a 2 run homer off Wayne Granger to give the Giants a 3-2 lead.  Bonds hit 186 homers as a Giant; this was his 13th.

Walk off 1969 home vs. Reds, same game, the Reds tied it at 3 in the 9th, now it's the 13th, two out, Hal Lanier on third, it's Bonds - again - he singles him home off George Culver for the game winner.

Walk off 1975 home vs. Reds, six years later we did it to Cincinnati again, 3-3 with an out in the 9th, Marc Hill scores all the way from first on a Chris Speier double and we win 4-3.   Only Rich Aurilia has more San Francisco plate appearances at short than Chris Speier.

1989 at Pittsburgh, the Giants came into the 9th trailing 3-2, tied it on a Kevin Mitchell homer, and then a couple of outs later Terry Kennedy hit what would turn out to be the game winning homer off Jeff Robinson.  Robinson came up through our system, lost 15 games for us in '84, we dealt him to Pittsburgh for Rick Reuschel in '87.  This was Kennedy's first of three San Francisco seasons that ended his career; we got him for Bob Melvin in a catcher trade before the season with Baltimore.  He was a perfectly acceptable backup catcher on a team that had several of them (young Manwaring, old Brenly).

Walk off 2006 home v Diamondbacks,  Moises Alou led off the bottom of the 9th with a home run off Luis Vizcaino to give us a 3-2 win.  This was 39 year old Moises Alou in his second and final year as a Giant; he couldn't give you much with the glove but Moises could still hit, he had a 132 OPS+ even at this advanced age.

See you tomorrow.  Go Giants!

2017 NFL Draft Day 3 Big Board, Top 100

Did the Niners really take that free third round pick the Bears gave us and flip it for the Saints second round pick next year?  What franchise am I watching?

Here's the final board, my top 100 players as we head to the final day of the draft.

1. Carl Lawson DE Auburn
2. Desmond King CB Iowa
3. Caleb Brantley DT Fla St
4. George Kittle TE Iowa
5. Dede Westbrook WR Oklahoma
6. Joe Mathis DE Wash
7. Samaje Perine RB Okla
8. Vincent Taylor NT OK St
9. Nathan Peterman QB Pitt
10.  Corn Elder CB Mia

11. Roderick Johnson T Fl St
12. Deatrich Wise DE Ark
13. Eddie Jackson S Ala
14. Bucky Hodges TE VT
15. Jake Butt TE Mich
16. Jaleel Johnson DT Iowa
17. Damontae Kazee CB SD St
18. Chad Hansen WR Cal
19. Vince Biegel DE Wisc
20. Mack Hollins WR UNC

21. Brad Kaaya QB Mia
22. Blair Brown LB Ohio
23. Isaiah Ford WR  VTech
24. Nathan Gerry S Neb
25. Jeremy McNichols RB Boise
26. Carlos Watkins DT Clemson
27. Dorian Johnson G Pitt
28. Tanzel Smart DT Tulane
29. Elijah Qualls DT Wash
30. Marlon Mack RB Flo

31. Ryan Glasgow DT Mich
32. Howard Wilson CB Hou
33. Josh Reynolds WR A&M
34. Josh Malone WR Tenn
35. Ejuan Price DE Pitt
36. Conor McDermott T UCLA
37. Jeremy Sprinkle TE Ark
38. Chase Roullier C Wyo
39. Danny Isidora G Mia
40. Grover Stewart DL Albany

41. Joe Toth C Kentucky
42. Tyler Orlosky C WVA
43. KD Cannon WR Bay
44. Anthony Walker LB Northwest
45. Zach Banner T USC
46. Nico Siragusa G SD St
47. Jalen Myrick CB Minn
48. DeAngelo Brown DT Louis
49. Channing Stribling CB Mich
50. Stevie Tu'ikolovatu DT USC

51. DJ Jones DL Ole Miss
52. Donnel Pumphrey RB SD St
53. Brian Hill RB Wyo
54. Ben Gedeon LB Mich
55. Malachi Dupre WR LSU
56. Charles Walker DT Okla
57. Michael Roberts TE Tol
58. Wayne Gallman RB Clem
59. Noah Brown WR Ohio St
60. Jehu Chesson WR Mich

61. Josh Dobbs QB Tenn
62. Adam Bisnowaty T Pitt
63. Jalen Reeves-Maybin LB Tenn
64. TJ Logan RB UNC
65. Damore'ea Stringfellow WR Ole Miss
66. Devonte Fields DE Louis
67. Pharoah Brown TE Ore
68. Matthew Dayes RB NC St
69. Isaac Rochell DT ND
70. Robert Davis WR Geo St

71. Jordan Leggett TE Clem
72. Darrell Daniels TE Wash
73. Jerome Lane Akron WR
74. Joe Williams RB Utah
75. Tarik Cohen RB NC AT
76. Xavier Woods FS La Tech
77. Jaylon Brown OLB UCLA
78. Jamal Williams RB BYU
79. Elijah Hood RB UNC
80. Robert Leff T Aub

81. Justin Senior T Miss St
82. Eric Smith T UVA
83. Daniel Brunskill T SD St
84. Damian Mama C USC
85. Isaac Asiata G Utah
86. Jacob Hollister TE Wyo
87. Kenneth Olugbode LB Col
88. Jalen Robinette WR Air Force
89. Chad Kelly QB Ole Miss
90. Austin Carr WR Northwest

91. Ryan Switzer WR UNC
92. Jordan Evans LB Oklah
93. Samson Ebukam DE E Wash
94. Hunter Dimick DE Utah
95. Davon Godchaux DT LSU
96. Ismael Zamora WR Bay
97. Tanner Gentry WR Wyo
98. Fred Ross WR Miss St
99. Mikal Myers DT UConn
100. Garrett Sickles DE Penn St

April 28 - Top 5 Moments in San Francisco Giants History

Yesterday

What is this all about?

Here are the top 5 April 28 moments in San Francisco Giants history.

1978 at Pittsburgh, down 3-2 in the 9th  40 year old Willie McCovey hit a 3 run double off John Candelaria, we'd hold on to win 5-4.  McCovey had a really good year with the bat in his return to the Giants in '77 but hit just .228 this year as his final descent to retirement began.

Walk off 1985 home vs Reds, even in a season where you lose a hundred games sometimes the good guys win. This was 1-1 in the 11th when David Green singled home Manny Trillo off of Tom Hume to give us a rare 1985 victory.  This was Green's only season in San Francisco after being the key piece coming back from St Louis in the Jack Clark trade in the off season.  He'd be out of the big leagues in '86 before coming back to the Cardinals for the '87 stretch run.

Walk off 1992  home vs Expos, 4 years later Mark Gardner would join the Giants and remain in the organization following his retirment, but here he started for Montreal, giving up only a run, but was long gone in the 10th inning when, with the score 1-1, Matt Williams hit a walk off homer against Bill Sampen. Williams hit 5 walk off homers in his career, this was his second.

Walk off 1993 home vs Mets 39 year old Frank Tanana, in his final season, started this one for the Mets; he threw 7 shutout innings but put a couple on in the 8th before getting pulled.  We scored 3 in the 8th to take a 3-2 lead, the Mets tied it in the top of the 9th. Matt Williams won the game with a single off Mike Maddux that scored Mike Benjamin.   Only Jimmy Davenport had more plate appearances as a San Francisco third baseman than Williams.

2012 home vs Padres, the Giants came into the 7th with only one baserunner, an infield Tim Lincecum (who threw 121 pitches) single, but had a couple of men on with two out, trailing 1-0 when Brandon Belt doubled both home. That 2-1 lead held up.  Only McCovey, Clark, Cepeda, Snow, have more San Francisco plate appearances at first base than does Belt.

See you tomorrow.  Go Giants!